6 Comments:

Oh rats, I'm so sorry. The fact that you didn't get a flyback to this Dream job doesn't necessarily mean you're out of the running; the search committee I was on last year wound up having two of our top candidates fall through (get jobs elsewhere before they flew out to us), so we invited the next two folks in the queue, both of whom had actually been favorite candidates but hadn't gotten one of the first three slots because of political arguments in the department, and the last of those (i.e., the fifth on the list of invites) wound up getting the job. Which is to say, it ain't over till it's over.

But I agree that the thing to do is concentrate on the flyback you do have. And if you're leaving in a week, it's perfectly reasonable to contact the department and ask for more details of the trip so that you can prepare.

Are talks still happening with Dutchman's university about the possibility of a three-year contract there?

Keep breathing in the midst of all of this job market craziness -- it's hell, but you'll get through it.

I was going to say exactly what WN said--and I think I told you how I got my current job, which is to say, in the first week of APRIL, after Regional U had real problems with their MLA interviewee flybacks, and they went back into the slushpile.

So I will return to my recent words of wisdom on another topic: You Never Know.

(And in the meanwhile, all kinds of good luck for the flyback you do have!)

Thanks to you all for your encouragement. It still stings, but I can at least put the constant worrying about it on the backburner - I haven't heard *anything* from them, which I guess means they're keeping their options open. It would be nice to know where I'm ranked.

As for the Dutchman U's opportunities, we've unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) learned that the 2 or 3-year contracts are rarely if ever renewable in practice. Then you go back to adjuncting if they will give you the classes. It seems like it's a band-aid to placate concerned spouses, but that in the end you can't really change it into something longer term. But again, knowing this is a good thing, even if it's not what we'd want!

The school for the flyback I have is farther away, but I do love the location - I've always loved the state and wanted to live there. They also have an official spousal/partner hiring program, which is nice. I'll have to find out more about it, but the fact that it's an official structure in place (rather than the "pat you on the back and we'll see what we can do method") makes me hopeful.

Oh MW, I'm sorry about dumb Dream Academy -- obviously they are too stupid to realize that YOU should be their number one pick. But maybe they are not calling all their other candidates and keeping them apprised as they did last year because it didn't serve them well. (They didn't get a hire out of it, right?) I too know the agony of knowing the person who was offered but did not take the job the year before -- and then this year they go and have all the nerve of doing things differently! What are they thinking? Well, sadly, we can't know. And they didn't reject you (as some have received calls of rejection -- can you imagine a phone call of rejection? the fools!). So you're still in the running.

But you have all sorts of excitement! You must call Smart Flyback in a Good State and find out the itinerary and presentations ASAP! What if they want you to do a teaching demo or something? Egads! And YAY!

EE, thank you for that lovely comment! Actually the hire that they school (no longer Dream Academy!) did last year that my source was on was not for a hire in my field, so they did make a hire last year. But they apparently change their notification practice from search to search, maybe depending on who's on it?

At any rate, thanks so much for the chin-up - and to all who have been encouraging about this both on and of blog!